Self Titled

In this episode of Self-Titled, we dive into Nirvana’s legendary MTV Unplugged in New York. Recorded at the height of the band’s fame, the performance revealed a different side of Nirvana—stripped down, intimate, and deeply emotional.We talk about the atmosphere of the show, Kurt Cobain’s song choices, the surprising covers, and why this performance proved Nirvana was always more than distortion.More than thirty years later, it still stands as one of the most powerful live albums ever recorded.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:58 Remembering Nirvana and Unplugged12:30 In context of the band's career20:50 Track-by-track breakdown01:23:28 The aftermath and Kurt's death

What if one of the most important albums of the 2000s almost didn’t get released at all?In this episode of Self Titled, we dive into Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco—an album born out of creative tension, internal conflict, and a level of experimentation that pushed it beyond what their label was willing to support.Famously rejected before its release, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has since become one of the most beloved and influential albums of its era. But what actually makes it work?We talk about:-The chaos behind the recording process-Why the album confused people at the time-How its “weirdness” reveals itself over repeated listens-The story of its rejection—and what that really says about the music-And why it still feels so different more than 20 years laterFrom fractured beginnings to lasting impact, this is an album that rewards patience—and challenges expectations.Chapters00:00 Intro01:43 Our personal history with YHF05:35 The tension behind the making of YHF10:59 The eerie 9/11-ness of the album16:59 This is an amazingly weird album32:29 Track-by-track breakdown01:23:36 Wilco after YHF01:28:30 Jeff Tweedy, Patron Saint of the Creative Process

In 1998, Perennial Favorites didn’t exactly win over the critics.But nearly three decades later, it still sounds dangerous.On this episode, we revisit Squirrel Nut Zippers’ misunderstood third album — the one that followed the breakout success of “Hell” — and explore why it never quite fit the swing revival label that defined the era.We talk about the Chapel Hill scene, pre-war jazz influences, industry pressure, and the musical tension that gives songs like “Ghost of Stephen Foster” and “Pallin’ With Al” their bite.This wasn’t nostalgia.The menace was always the point.Chapters:00:00 Intro02:15 Our history with Perennial Favorites04:18 The critics were wrong07:06 Squirrel Nut Zippers weren't Swing Revivalists14:50 The Chapel Hill music scene16:34 Leading up to Perennial Favorites22:32 Track by track56:34 Our correspondence with Tom Maxwell01:10:52 Track by track continued01:23:30 Perennial Favorites still sounds incredible01:26:20 SNZ after Perennial Favorites01:34:43 Rapid-fire questions

Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti is massive, messy, funky, mystical—and possibly their greatest achievement.Seth and Josh dive into Zeppelin’s 1975 double album to explore why it feels like the ultimate expression of the band’s power and range. Touching on blues, funk, folk, Eastern influences, and pure rock excess, the episode unpacks how Physical Graffiti captures all four members operating at their peak.From the groove of “Trampled Under Foot” to the scale of “Kashmir,” the conversation looks at musicianship, chemistry, and ambition—and asks whether this album marks Zeppelin’s final masterpiece before the mythology began to outweigh the music.Chapters00:00 Intro01:28 Why We Love Physical Graffiti04:56 Is Led Zeppelin the Quintessential Rock Band?09:36 Robert Plant's Vocals17:34 The Background on Physical Graffiti22:49 Track-by-Track Breakdown01:10:10 Takeaways01:16:49 Physical Graffiti's Context in Musical History

When OK Computer was released, we were 15 years old — in a band, discovering who we were, and completely unprepared for what this album would do to us.This episode isn’t about ranking tracks or litigating whether OK Computer is “the greatest album of all time.” It’s about what it felt like to live inside this record — hearing it in real time, letting it rewire how we understood music, and realizing that listening itself could be an activity.We talk about:Hearing OK Computer for the first time — and needing weeks before returning to itWhy albums like this reveal themselves slowlyThe emotional weight of songs like “Let Down,” “Exit Music (For a Film),” and “Climbing Up the Walls”Why OK Computer still sounds ahead of its time nearly 30 years laterThis is a personal history of an album that means a lot to us. Chapters:00:00 Intro01:37 Our History With OK Computer 15:38 OK Computer's Background21:33 Track-by-track Deep Dive01:01:30 Final Takeaways

The 1990s were Josh and Seth's most formative decade, so creating a list of our top 10 '90s albums was no easy feat. To make things even harder, we also attempted to guess each other's top 10.From Weezer and Cake to Aphex Twin and Radiohead, here are our favorite albums from the 1990s.Chapters:00:00 Intro02:00 Josh Guesses Seth's List03:56 Seth Guesses Josh's List05:27 Seth's #10-608:30 Josh's #10-610:47 Our Top 519:01 Our Number 123:25 Takeaways

The White Album might be the most confusing, chaotic, and brilliant record the Beatles ever made — which is exactly why we love it.In this episode of Self Titled, we dive deep into The Beatles (1968): the band’s only double album and a document of four musicians drifting apart while somehow making one of the greatest albums of all time.We talk through the tension surrounding the sessions, the shift from studio experimentation to stripped-down songwriting, and how tracks like “Dear Prudence,” “Glass Onion,” “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Martha, My Dear” reveal each Beatle at a creative crossroads.Along the way, we debate favorite contributors, revisit high-school listening memories, and ask the big question: Is the White Album messy — or is the mess the magic?This is a track-by-track conversation about obsession, experimentation, and why this album still rewires how we hear music decades later.00:00 Intro01:14 Why Josh chose this album05:43 The background of The White Album08:50 The weirdness of The White Album10:30 Which Beatle has the strongest showing?20:32 Track-by-track review01:23:34 Is the White Album too long?01:26:45 The bass sound on The White Album01:29:05 Final Takeaway

Seth and Jordan each list their top movies of 2025 (this recording preceded the release of Marty Supreme, btw). We do a deep dive into our love for One Battle After Another and rank our Paul Thomas Anderson movies. 00:00 - Intro00:45 - #5 Train Dreams01:25 - #4 Friendship03:50 - #3 Pavements06:28 - #2 Weapons10:02 - #1 One Battle After Another12:12 - Ranking Every Paul Thomas Anderson Movie22:14 - Why One Battle After Another Is Top-Tier

Seth enlists the help of his three most musically savvy friends to break down the best albums of 2025. We've covered a lot of ground in this list, but we reserve a nice long chunk of time at the end of the episode to dive into the phenomenon that was Geese's Getting Killed. 00:00 - Intro00:29 - Landon04:05 - Landon's #3: Djo - The Crux09:15 - Landon's #2: Foxwarren - 214:57 - Landon's #3: Way Dynamic - Massive Shoe21:29 - John23:04 - John's #10: Chevelle - Bright as Blasphemy23:50 - John's #9: Black Keys - No Rain, No Flowers25:15 - John's #8: Tate McRae - So Close to What27:26 - John's #7: Lily Allen - West End Girl29:11 - John's #6: Queens of the Stone Age - Alive in the Catacombs30:47 - John's #5: Turnstile - Never Enough34:33 - John's #4: Fox Lake - New World Heat36:27 - John's #3: Deftones - Private Music40:10 - John's #2: Arc De Solei - Lumen Rain43:55 - John's #1: Balu Brigada - Portal48:34 - Jordan48:49 - Seth's 10-452:49 - Jordan's 10-459:43 - Seth's #3: Pulp - More01:01:16 - Jordan's #3: Guerilla Toss - You're Weird Now01:02:00 - Seth & Jordan's #2: Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys01:08:00 - Seth & Jordan's #1: Geese - Getting Killed

In this episode of Self Titled, Seth and Josh explore Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City — a record that helped define 2010s indie rock and still feels unlike anything else from its era. What begins as a playful, genre-bending album gradually reveals itself as something deeper, heavier, and more spiritually ambitious than it first appears.Across the conversation, Seth and Josh discuss:• How Modern Vampires blends chamber pop, global rhythms, baroque touches, and modern production into something entirely its own• The album’s candid lyrics and its recurring, intimate dialogue with God• Ezra Koenig’s writing at its most vulnerable, thoughtful, and inventive• Standout tracks including “Obvious Bicycle,” “Unbelievers,” “Hannah Hunt,” “Diane Young,” “Everlasting Arms,” and “Ya Hey”• Why the emotional breakthrough of “Hannah Hunt” hits so hard• How Rostam’s production helped shape the band’s most meticulous and adventurous album• The kids’ unexpectedly strong opinions (spoiler: “Finger Back” is a family event)• Who could actually pull off covering this record — from Andrew Bird to a time-travelling Brian Wilson• Why Ezra Koenig might be the Pete Sampras of indie rockFor Seth, it’s a long-time favorite. For Josh, it became a slow-burn obsession after spending months with the record. Together, they unpack what makes Modern Vampires such a rare “masterpiece moment” — the intersection of ambition, craft, vulnerability, and total creative freedom.If you enjoy the show, follow Self Titled and leave a review.

The Telecaster might have started in country music, but its story didn’t end there.Seth highlights six guitarists who proved that Leo Fender’s first solid-body electric could do anything: from the post-punk precision of Graham Coxon to the art-rock chaos of Jonny Greenwood. Along the way, he covers how Joe Strummer, Frank Black, D. Boon, and Tom Morello each made the Telecaster their own.

Seth always respected Alice in Chains — but never got them. Until Josh made him listen closer.In this episode, the hosts break down what makes Alice in Chains so powerful: the eerie harmonies, the mix of metal and melancholy, and the emotional weight that few ’90s bands could match. It’s a story about re-evaluation, rediscovery, and what happens when a band you thought you knew suddenly clicks.🎸 Featuring discussion of Dirt, Jar of Flies, and why Layne Staley’s voice still echoes decades later.

The year is 1999. The Billboard Modern Rock Chart is full of… questionable choices.Seth and Josh revisit the actual July 10, 1999 chart — a strange moment when alternative rock was still on the radio, but the spirit of the ’90s was gone. What happened between Nirvana and Creed? Between Radiohead and Train?This episode is equal parts nostalgia and postmortem: a deep dive into how a great decade in rock ended with a whimper.🎸 Featuring: Creed, Smash Mouth, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the ghosts of grunge.

Everyone has a favorite cover — the one that takes a familiar song and makes it something new.In this episode, Seth, Josh, and Ethan each share their Top 10 Favorite Cover Songs, trading picks, stories, and light-hearted arguments about what makes a great one.

🎬 Some directors treat music like a supporting character. Others make it the star.Seth and Josh dive into the art of the needle drop—those perfect movie moments when the right song hits at the right time—and count down their Top 5 Needle Drop Directors of All Time.If you love movies, music, and the moments where they collide, this episode’s for you.

Mark Ronson’s Late Night Feelings might be the ultimate “sad bangers” album — but for indie fans, it’s also a surprising gateway into pop.Seth and Josh unpack Ronson’s collaborators, the emotional weight beneath the glossy surface, and why this album might be his masterpiece.

Josh had barely scratched the surface of The Cure—until now. Seth handed him a custom playlist, gave him a couple weeks, and hit record.In this episode, Josh shares his thoughts on The Cure's most iconic songs, how Robert Smith won him over, and why some tracks immediately clicked while others felt overplayed. From Friday shifts at Sonic to unexpected love for “Just Like Heaven” and “Lullaby,” this conversation explores what makes The Cure both timeless and surprisingly approachable.

We’re calling it: Trainspotting has the greatest soundtrack ever.In this episode, Seth and Josh revisit the 1996 cult classic soundtrack that doubled as a crash course in Britpop, post-punk, and electronic music. From Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” to Underworld’s “Born Slippy,” Lou Reed to Blur, Pulp, and New Order — we share the tracks that shaped us and why this soundtrack still matters nearly 30 years later.

We did it. We each made a list of our 50 favorite bands of all time—and revealed them on mic, live, without knowing each other’s picks.In this episode, Seth and Josh walk through their deeply personal, occasionally chaotic, and sometimes embarrassing Top 50 band lists. We talk about our parameters (no solo artists, mostly rock-adjacent), the emotional rollercoaster of ranking beloved artists, and how this exercise turned into a genuine journey of self-discovery.From legacy legends like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd to cult favorites like Spoon, The Minutemen, Yeasayer, and Harvey Danger, our lists blend generational classics with quirky deep cuts. Plus: some spicy omissions, a few curveballs, and a shared vulnerability that only comes from putting your taste out there.👉 What's on your list? Send us your Top 10 or Top 50 on social media or in the comments.Josh’s Top 3: Radiohead, Blur, GorillazSeth’s Top 3: The Beatles, Blur, Radiohead🎸 If you’re a music nerd who loves lists, this episode is for you.

The year is 1996. Clinton vs. Dole, Jordan’s Bulls are back on top, Twister is in theaters, and the Billboard Modern Rock chart is packed with everything from grunge heavyweights to ska upstarts to guilty-pleasure one-hit wonders.In this Self Titled episode, Seth and Josh rate all 40 songs from Billboard’s July 1996 Modern Rock chart. Expect passionate debates, bursts of nostalgia, and plenty of sharp opinions—whether it’s five-star praise for Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins, or zero-star takedowns of ’90s alt-rock slop.It’s part time capsule, part roast, part celebration of one of rock’s weirdest years.